Coupling for transmission of power.



Patented Nov. l9, I901; s. HEINE.

.. ll ull ii "I I GUUPHNG FOR TRANSMISSION 0F POWER. (Application filedDec. e, 1900.;

(No Model.)

UNTTE STATES PATET -FFICE.

GEORG HEINE, OF VIERSEN, GERMANY.

COUPLING FOR TRANSMISSION OF POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,937, dated November19, 1901.

Application filed December 6, 1900. Serial N0; 38,899. 11% model-) Toall whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORG HEINE, manufacturer, a subject of the Emperorof Germany,

and a resident of Viersen, Rhineland, in the Kingdom of Prussia andEmpire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Coupling forTransmission of Power, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a coupling for transmittingpower from a driving to a driven part through the medium of a fluid insuch a manner as to maintain an elastic connection that will nottransmit from the motor shocks resulting from any irregularity of speedin said motor or transmit to the motor any injurious reaction resultingfrom the throwing in orout of gear of any machine that is to beoperated.

A further object is to provide means for transforming an inconstantrevolution of a driving-shaft into a constant revolution of the partthat is driven.

A further object is to provide an automatic speed-regulator in such acoupling.

By my invention wear and tear of the to tating parts will be reduced toa minimum, because no rigid part acts upon any other, but such rigidparts come into contact only with a fluid.

The annexed drawings show one practical embodiment of the couplingforming the sub ject of my invention, in which- Figure l is alongitudinal section of the coupling; and Fig. 2, a cross-section on theline A B, Fig. 1.

The shaft 1), which is to be driven, fits in a sleeve 0, formed at asuitable point in its length with a transverse guide d, upon which ismounted a radially-movable but not relatively rotatable dog e, formed onone side with a wing e. Inclosing the dog 6 and concentric with itssleeve is a chamber a of the coupling-cylinder so, which has a turningbearing a on the shaft 1). The chamber a is supplied with a fluid, andthis fluid when the coupling is set in motion is driven by centrifugalforce against the exterior wall of the chamber a, as shown by thedrawings. Beyond the chamber dis a chamber h, into which the superfluousfluid may enter through the openings 2'. When the coupling comes torest, the fluid in chamber 7L returns to the chamber a. Ribs f on theinner wall of the chamber (it gradually force the fluid to follow therotating movement of the coupling and to eventually assume the samespeed. WVingc of the dog 6 projects into the revolving annulus of thefluid, and the latter exerts a pressure on the dog that imparts to thelatter gradually a rotary movement which will gradually increase inspeed. Since the dog 6 is fixed against rotation on the sleeve 0, whichis fixed on the shaft 1), rotation of the latter is set up; but thedriving connection between the shaft b and the coupling-cylinder m isentirely through the medium of the fluid,which is not confined, and saidconnection istherefore made through elastic medium, which prevents any.shocks being transmitted from the machine that is connected with theshaft 19 back through the coupling to the motor, and vice versa-that isto say, the resistance of the driven machine is only overcome graduallyby the elastic coupling, so that momentary fluctuations will not betransmitted and no shock can result from throwing in a machine. If thedriving power is poorly regulated and imparts irregular rotations, theshaft driven by the elastic coupling will still be driven with aconstant rotation, because its inertia will cause the coupling to yieldinstead of transmitting sudden changes. With this coupling all frictionbetween rigid parts disappears completely, thus diminishing to a minimumthe wear and tear.

In the practical example shown the dog 6 is movable on the shaft 1)sufficiently to partially or wholly withdraw its wings e from theannulus of fluid. A spring 9 is arranged in such a manner that itprojects the wing normally into the fluid; but should the speed ofrotation increase beyond a predetermined limit centrifugal force willmove the dog in opposition to the pressure of the spring, the side ofthe dog opposite to the wing being made of enlarged bulk, therebyproviding a centrifugal counterpoise, so that its action will cause thewing e to gradually withdraw from the fluid. On reaching the maximumspeed the catch-wing 6 would be drawn so far out of the fluid as toarrest the driven parts; but since gradual withdrawal eifects acorresponding reduction in the propelling eifect of the fluid thedesired speed of the driven parts is maintained. The coupling thusconstitutes an effective governor not by introducing a braking forcewith consequent loss of energy, but by reducing the degree of energytransmitted.

Obviously a plurality of radial dogs could be employed, as this wouldsimply be multiplying this element of the device.

The coupling can be used either vertically or horizontally, since thefluid remaining in the chamber a would be quite sufficient to providethe revolving fluid annulus, the surplus fiowing by gravity throughopenings 2' instead of by centrifugal force, as when the coupling is invertical position.

In its broadest scope my invention is not limited to the radial adjustability of the dog, as this feature has to do more particularly tothe incident of governing the transmission of the driving power.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A coupling for transmission of power comprising a rotating drivingmember formed with a fluid-chamber with a space containing a quantity offluid which, when the driving member rotates, forms into a revolvingfluid annulus and a driven member having a radial wing projecting intothe fluid annulus for the purpose set forth.

2. A coupling for the transmission of power comprising a rotatingdriving member formed with a fluid-chamber having an end opening throughwhich fluid above a determined amount will escape whereby the fluidremaining therein will form under centrifugal force 'into a revolvingannulus in said chamber, and a rotating driven member having a wingprojecting radially into the space of the fluid annulus.

' 3. A coupling for transmission of power comprising a rotating drivingmember having an axially open circular chamber with inwardly-projectingribs leaving a free annular space entirely around said chamber withinthe inner ends of said ribs and a rotating driven member having a wingprojecting into and rotatable within the said free annular space withinthe ribs whereby fluid placed in the chamber forms an annulus undercentrifugal force, and engages the win g for the purpose set forth.

4. A coupling for transmission of power comprising a rotating drivingmember provided with a chamber having an axial opening in which arestricted quantity of fluid is retained and forms a revolving annulusunder centrifugal force, a rotating driven member, and a wing projectingradially from said driven member into the space of said fluid annulus,radially movable on said driven member whereby it may withdraw from saidannulus, and provided with a centrifugal counterpoise for withdrawingthe wing under abnormal revolution of the driven member.

5. A coupling for transmission of power comprising the rotating drivingmember provided with a chamber a and a chamber h with which the chambera communicates through an end opening 1?, and a rotating driven memberprojecting into said chamber a, and havinga wing 6, extending radiallyinto the space of chamber a for the purpose set forth.

6. A coupling for the transmission of power comprising a rotatingdriving member provided with a chamber in which fluid forms a revolvingannulus under centrifugal force, a rotating driven member extendingaxially into said chamber, a dog radially movable but non-rotatable onsaid driven member, provided with a wing, a spring normally projectingthe wing into the space of the fluid annulus and a centrifugalcounterpoise on said dog opposing said spring.

7. A coupling for transmission of rotary power comprising a sleeve to befixed to a driven member, formed with a transverse seat, a dog radiallymovable but non-rotatable on said seat, carrying a radial wing andcentrifugally counterpoised on its side opposite said Wing, a springnormally projecting said wing, and a rotating driving member providedwith a chamber concentric with the driven sleeve and inclosing said dogand wing and a second chamber communicating with the chamber firstnamed, for the purposes set forth.

, In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORG HEINE.

